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In 6 to 12 days after conception, a woman may experience implantation bleeding. About 7 days after that, hormone levels in the urine are high enough to detect using a home pregnancy test. In general, take the test after you notice your menstrual period is late. While some pregnancy tests claim to work a few days before a missed period, the results are usually less accurate at that point. Some tests may be able to detect pregnancy hormones in urine as early as 10 days following unprotected sex, but the results are not very reliable, and women may get a false positive or false negative test result. For women who have irregular periods or who do not get periods at all, testing about 3 weeks after unprotected sex may yield more reliable results.
What Are Pregnancy Tests?Pregnancy tests are used to verify if a woman is pregnant. They work by checking urine or blood for a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) that the body produces when pregnancy occurs. This hormone is released when a fertilized egg attaches to the lining of the uterus, signaling the beginning of pregnancy. What Do Pregnancy Test Results Mean?If pregnancy test results are positive, it means a woman is pregnant. If they’re negative, it means a woman is not pregnant. When Can A Pregnancy Test Be Taken?Pregnancy tests may be taken any time after a woman’s menstrual period is late. A woman may also choose to test after implantation bleeding has occurred. Implantation bleeding is an early sign of pregnancy. It occurs when a 6 to 12-day-old fertilized egg attaches to the inner lining of the uterus, causing light vaginal bleeding or spotting. About one-third of women experience implantation bleeding, which is normal and typically happens near the time of a woman’s next expected menstrual period. About four to five days after implantation bleeding, HCG levels in the body reach detectable levels in the blood. For at-home urine pregnancy tests, it may take up to 7 days for HCG levels in the urine to reach detectable levels for testing. Why Might A Pregnancy Test Produce the Wrong Result?There are 2 types of inaccurate results:
There are several reasons for inaccurate results:
SLIDESHOWStages of Pregnancy: Week by Week See SlideshowReviewed on 9/30/2022 References Image source: iStock Images Medscape Medical Reference https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/pregnancy/pregnancy-tests https://utswmed.org/medblog/home-pregnancy-tests/ https://www.babymed.com/fertility-problems/making-clomiphene-clomid-work-you How long after your period do you get a positive pregnancy test?The level of hCG continues to increase throughout pregnancy and doubles after 2-3 days. To get a positive pregnancy test, most women will have to wait 5-10 days after their period was due. Some may detect pregnancy earlier becuase hCG accumulates at different rates for different women.
How long does it take for a urine pregnancy test to show?At 10+ days after the missed period, a negative HPT result makes pregnancy unlikely. Positive pregnancy test results can show up any time before or after a missed period. The graph and chart below show the % of positive urine tests by day. If you are pregnant, then this is when the urine pregnancy usually becomes positive first.
How soon after implantation can you take a pregnancy test?The earliest you can get a positive result on the most sensitive pregnancy tests is 3-4 days after implantation, 11-12 days after ovulation/fertilization or about 2 days prior to your next period. But the majority of home pregnancy tests will not be positive until you miss a period.
When is the best time to take a pregnancy test?When is a blood pregnancy test positive? The blood pregnancy test generally provides greater accuracy earlier. If you are pregnant, your blood test will usually be positive within 3-4 days after implantation or about 9-10 days after fertilization and ovulation, which is roughly 5-6 days before a missed period.
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